Full-time, part-time and seasonal Ontario workers will be eligible for 10 days of personal emergency leave – the first two paid – beginning Jan. 1.

A new stand-alone leave for victims of domestic or sexual violence will take effect in the new year as well, with the first five days paid.

These new labour rules are part of the same provincial legislation, Bill 148, that is boosting the minimum wage to $14-an-hour in the new year and to $15-an-hour on Jan. 1, 2019.

Labour Minister Kevin Flynn said his government is committed to providing more fairness to workers.

“This includes increasing the minimum wage to $15-an-hour, ensuring equal pay for equal work, fairer scheduling and increased enforcement,” Flynn said in an email.

Flynn criticized the Ontario Progressive Conservatives under leader Patrick Brown who voted against Bill 148, and have stated that they would implement the $15-an-hour minimum wage increase over a longer period.

While some employers were already required to provide 10 days of unpaid personal emergency leave, Bill 148 extends that obligation to all employers and ensures the first two days are paid.

The stand-alone Domestic and Sexual Violence Leave is a new initiative by the Kathleen Wynne government that gives victims time off to deal with concerns like relocation or counselling.

Small businesses are still scrambling to figure out exactly what’s expected of them as employers.

Plamen Petkov, vice-president of Ontario and Business Resources with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said their members have expressed significant confusion around the Personal Emergency Leave (PEL) aspect of Bill 148.

The CFIB was told that labour ministry staff would not be fully up to speed to answer business owner questions until late December.

Petkov said he received notice that an information webinar on PEL was scheduled for Jan. 29, almost a month after the new rules come into effect.

The vast majority of small business owners have probably not even heard of the stand-alone domestic and sexual violence leave, he said.

“They are pushing forward drastic changes that we have never seen before, quite frankly, at least in this generation and they’re not ready to properly communicate and educate how businesses need to comply,” he added.

The CFIB is proposing a grace period in enforcement to give employers an opportunity to understand their new obligations under Bill 148, he said.

aartuso@postmedia.com

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NEW PAID EMERGENCY LEAVE (PEL)

All workers entitled to 10 days off for emergencies each year, the first two paid.

PEL must be offered to all employees in Ontario, including part-time and seasonal.

Employers are banned from asking for a doctor’s note for PEL.

New stand-alone emergency leave for victims of domestic or sexual violence.

Domestic and sexual violence leave available to employees who’ve worked for the same employer for at least 13 consecutive weeks.

This leave includes up to 10 days off, the first five paid, then a further 15 weeks leave.

The domestic and sexual violence leave may be used to seek medical attention for physical or psychological injury for employees or their children, to obtain victim services, to relocate or seek legal assistance.

For this leave, an employee may require evidence that the request is “reasonable in the circumstances.”